The November Man (2014) - Pierce Brosnan's return to the spy genre

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  • edited September 2014 Posts: 11,425
    Weird how the tone of Brosnan's films remained very much the same. Sort of always mainstream family fodder.

    Even Rog got the odd hardman moment. And Dalts and Craig had plenty. Brosnan seems the only one who never really got a chance to be truly menacing as Bond.
  • edited September 2014 Posts: 12,837
    Moore had darker moments but Brosnan didn't? I think you've got that the wrong way round.

    Roger was never really menacing as Bond. Even in his colder moments (like kicking the car off a cliff) there was always a grin, an eyebrow or a cheesey one liner afterwards. Not saying that's a bad thing, I loved his Bond, but I don't think he had more menacing moments as Bond.

    Pierce had plenty of colder, darker moments as Bond. Killing Alec, interrogating Elektra, killing Elektra, etc. And his films are played pretty straight. He has some one liners sure but overall they're much more serious than the Moore flicks (in fact I think this actually became a problem with DAD, which took itself much too seriously for what it was; EG- when Colonel Moon killed General Moon and it was all dramatic and slow motion).

    Anyway, on topic, I was worried after the reviews but it seems like everyone on here who has seen it so far (even those such as @Kerim who aren't big fans of the Brosnan era) liked the film, which has made me optimistic. Nice to see it's doing well at the box office too. I certainly didn't expect it to make more than Sin City 2 (which is really hyped up, has a dedicated fanbase after the first one and has quite a few big names starring) so that's a nice surprise. Looks like Brosnan still has some star power :)

    I'll see it when it's released in the UK (God knows when that'll be). It is guaranteed to come out in the UK isn't it? If not I'll get the DVD. I don't want to watch it on the internet because I want them to make a sequel.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Brosnan had a bunch of dark and cold moments.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    Moore had darker moments but Brosnan didn't? I think you've got that the wrong way round.

    Roger was never really menacing as Bond. Even in his colder moments (like kicking the car off a cliff) there was always a grin, an eyebrow or a cheesey one liner afterwards. Not saying that's a bad thing, I loved his Bond, but I don't think he had more menacing moments as Bond.

    Pierce had plenty of colder, darker moments as Bond. Killing Alec, interrogating Elektra, killing Elektra, etc. And his films are played pretty straight. He has some one liners sure but overall they're much more serious than the Moore flicks (in fact I think this actually became a problem with DAD, which took itself much too seriously for what it was; EG- when Colonel Moon killed General Moon and it was all dramatic and slow motion).

    Anyway, on topic, I was worried after the reviews but it seems like everyone on here who has seen it so far (even those such as @Kerim who aren't big fans of the Brosnan era) liked the film, which has made me optimistic. Nice to see it's doing well at the box office too. I certainly didn't expect it to make more than Sin City 2 (which is really hyped up, has a dedicated fanbase after the first one and has quite a few big names starring) so that's a nice surprise. Looks like Brosnan still has some star power :)

    I'll see it when it's released in the UK (God knows when that'll be). It is guaranteed to come out in the UK isn't it? If not I'll get the DVD. I don't want to watch it on the internet because I want them to make a sequel.

    I'd agree with that. Never ever felt Moore handled the tough stuff very well. Brosnan was much better in that department, even with his so called "pretty boy" demeanor. Killing Elektra was far more tense then anything Moore ever had, save for possibly kicking Locque over the cliff.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Moore in FYEO was great. I cannot fault him; he had some brilliant moments in it.

    Brosnan kicked ass seriously at times, had his finer darker moments. But because his was a "fun" era (tone and direction the films took on), and with his own charm and style, his Bond gets slammed a bit too much, in my opinion.

    Apparently the main character in the November Man stories is quite darker. I don't know how far the general public will buy that from Pierce. I hope they don't go overboard, actually. I want to root for him, and have flashes of his own charm, etc. But a darker, grittier story with Pierce playing things dead seriously a lot? Yes, I'm all for that. :-bd
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Regarding Moore's darker moments- As to not derail the thread, I'll post it in a spoiler tag.
    I thought Moore was very capable (and successful) at portraying "tough" Bond.

    This comes across in the following scenes:

    Killing Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me.

    Countless scenes in For Your Eyes Only (the demise of Loque, Bond and Melina being used as shark bait, scenes in the monastery, talk with Colombo on his boat etc.)

    The latter scenes of Octopussy, such as killing the twin ("and that's for 009!") and holding Orlov at gunpoint.

    The "it was a mistake killing Tibbet" scene in A View to a Kill and his dialogue with Zorin in the City Hall in the same film.

    As for The November Man, I hope a UK release date is announced soon. I still don't see anything in my local cinemas.
  • Posts: 11,189
    Birdleson wrote: »
    That is similar to a list I had made.

    I'd add:
    Shooting the soviets in OP.
    His confidence in entering into Mr. Big's headquarters in LALD.
    The battle in the tanker and the killing of Stromberg in TSWLM.

    But Brosnan shot Russian soldiers in GE too :p
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited September 2014 Posts: 40,976
    I saw 'The November Man' last night and absolutely loved it. I'm not sure who said it on the last page, but it definitely has a lot of ties to the Bond series, especially GE: Pierce Brosnan, bad guy's name is Arkady, female love interest's name is Natalya, you have a seedy nightclub and a computer hacker, and a few other things. Also, Olga Kurylenko also seems to be playing the same character that she did in QoS.

    I thought Brosnan was fantastic in it: cold, ruthless, skilled, quite a few witty lines, and he kicked tons of ass throughout. I didn't care for Luke Bracey and his acting, and I could've done without so much slo-mo throughout, but the rest of it made up for it, and I was blown away while watching it. Happy to see Brosnan playing one hardened spy yet again. It was immensely entertaining and well worth the ticket price. I had a blast.
  • Posts: 11,189
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    female love interest's name is Natalya,

    You're kidding?? :p
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,584
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    female love interest's name is Natalya,
    You're kidding?? :p
    Can Broz pronounce her last name?
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    Adding to the ones already mentioned were smacking aro
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    female love interest's name is Natalya,

    You're kidding?? :p

    It's true. I honestly didn't catch the parallel until just now.

    :\">
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Natalya also had red hair, and works with higher-ups to bring down someone powerful and dangerous.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited September 2014 Posts: 12,480
    I never knew Natalya in GE had red hair; I didn't see that.
    Interesting about the parallels, though.

    What other reviews I have glanced at, I think all have mentioned that Luke Bracey was lacking.
    Overdone slo-mo I can do without, yeah.
    But happy some of our members really enjoyed the film, because I think that means I will too.
    Just wish I could see it sooner!
  • Creasy47 wrote: »
    I saw 'The November Man' last night and absolutely loved it. I'm not sure who said it on the last page, but it definitely has a lot of ties to the Bond series, especially GE: Pierce Brosnan, bad guy's name is Arkady, female love interest's name is Natalya, you have a seedy nightclub and a computer hacker, and a few other things. Also, Olga Kurylenko also seems to be playing the same character that she did in QoS.

    I thought Brosnan was fantastic in it: cold, ruthless, skilled, quite a few witty lines, and he kicked tons of ass throughout. I didn't care for Luke Bracey and his acting, and I could've done without so much slo-mo throughout, but the rest of it made up for it, and I was blown away while watching it. Happy to see Brosnan playing one hardened spy yet again. It was immensely entertaining and well worth the ticket price. I had a blast.

    I said that, and I still go by my username.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Natalya's hair looks red to me at certain times in GE. And I know you go by your username obviously, I've been a bit too busy to check back through pages to find out who said it.
  • edited September 2014 Posts: 4,622
    I've got a lot of catching up to do in this thread, like lots of pages, but I thought I'd skip ahead before going back to read, as I just saw the film.
    And I really did like this film. It moves along at a nice pace. Its a good modern espionage film. Some might find all the killing and violence a little off-putting. After watching this movie, you do not want to apply for a job as a suited lower-level operative type for west or east. It was open season on anyone with an earbud and a shoulder holster. Otherwise the film had somewhat of a Le Carre feel but with more action.
    Broz was great, although I think a couple of times he did outdo his most grevious Bond painfaces.
    And Olga was sensational. I think she may now have surpassed Amber Heard as my current favourite actress
    This is the best Olga movie ever IMO, surpassing even QoS and Oblivion. She looked great, acting was nice and natural. Love her range of expressions. Her character was also rather similar to her QoS character.
    5 out of 5 stars. Broz was very credible as a tough guy. I don't know why his fights didn't work as well when he played Bond. Maybe he was trying too hard to be Bond...maybe trying to do much. Don't know really. But he pulls it together well in this movie.....oh and did I mention Olga.........L'm signing up for the fanboy fanclub right now!!!

    Olga+Kurylenko+November+Man+Premieres+Hollywood+nDSouXIzLR5l.jpg
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Great to hear, Creasy! And I think Olga would approve of your review. :)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited September 2014 Posts: 18,281
    Olga is a very beautiful woman, another reason I need to see this film! ;)
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I do so love Brosnan's Bond.
    But I am happy with his post-Bond work, too; such a great variety. And now I am more than ever looking forward to seeing November Man. So far, our members have definitely enjoyed the film. :-bd
  • edited September 2014 Posts: 4,622
    I've gone back and read reviews. Not surprisingly lots of other Bond fans picked up on the similarity between Olga's character and her Camille in QoS.
    Did't quite catch all the GE parallels, but yes they are definitely there.
    I did pick up some Bourne influence especially with the CIA operations centres, but I found this film far more entertaining than anything Damon did with Bourne.
    Definitely worth doing some sequels. Broz can grow this character.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    That's what I'm excited for, too: More than one film with Pierce as this character. Oh, I do hope so!
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited September 2014 Posts: 4,520
    Sneek Preview / interview with Brosnan and Sean Bean Look like and another interview with Olga.

    http://www.rtlxl.nl/#!/rtl-sneak-preview-the-november-man-322954/3a8445a0-c4bd-35a8-b390-1320e993419a

    Yesterday it whas on tv and scores 228.000 views and that's much.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited September 2014 Posts: 4,520
    Tomorrow wil be Dutch release. The for free avaible Dutch paper ''SPITS'' give the movie 3 stars. It get 3 pages, the first page be first part review and interview with Olga http://www.spitsnieuws.nl/entertainment/2014/09/olga-kurylenko-wil-verrassen (Spoilers include) and other two pages include a review with in my opnion not realy give much a way http://www.spitsnieuws.nl/entertainment/2014/09/recensie-the-november-man It said it be dificult movie mabey for some people and not everthing be what it seems. Together with be exited about Brosnan and plot, there see dificult as good thing.

    The 16+ rank is also explaint, in there eyes not needed sex scene's.
    Walecs wrote: »
    Soundtrack is out.

    I must say Wolverine disapointed me, also because of music. But Live Free or Die Hard whas good. In The Netherlands soundtrack wil be avaible on 16 September http://www.bol.com/nl/p/the-november-man/9200000031648710/

    In Amsterdam only avaible in Pathe Arena and Pathe The Munt http://www.pathe.nl/film/18128/november-man
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Listening to the soundtrack excerpts on amazon, I noticed that the tracks "Mason finds Lucy" and "Take orders" include a recurring piano motif which sounds a lot like one motif from Quantum of Solace, the same used by David Arnold for Shirley Bassey's song "No Good About Goodbye".
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited September 2014 Posts: 4,520
    What The November Man did at Dutch Boxoffice. It be nice weather and the limited of 62 screens made it dificult. $228,702 did in the first weak. But Dutch Boxoffice scores bad the last 2 months and for September this be disapointed month. So The November Man enter the top 20 at the 4th place. Moved up to the 3th place be Anton Corbijn his A Most Wanted Man deliever $269,392 a weak earlier with 51 screens and now after 2 weaks totaly deliever $537,339. ''Chef'' who release at same time with 58 screens starts lower with $171,370 in the first weak, then the movie get 8 screens more and with 66 screens and now after 2 weaks delieverd $287,286.

    Seeking Justice in 2012, deliever in first weak with 30 screens $121,802 and $187,205 in total. The Recruit be at this moment Roger Donaldson his moost succesfull movie (From movies after 2001) with $1,536,060 in total in 2003. The worldwide Total count of The Recruit be around 111 million, but Dante's Peak another movie with Brosnan in 1997 deliever around 178 million in total.

    Intresting for Dutch people: Between 18 September and 24 September you can go for € 5,00 to cinema!!. http://www.pathe.nl/artikel/1581-
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited September 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Thanks for the info, M_Balje. :) Last I looked (which was a week ago, I think), November Man was in third place in the U.S. Not bad and hopefully we will definitely get the sequel!
  • Posts: 2,491
    I will probably see the movie this weekend.
    Oh yeah !
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Budget 15 mill, take home (so far) almost 23 mill. Doing well.
  • Any news on a UK release date?
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